When There's Love
by estrellaSMC
Summary: A resubmitting of the story by the same title. Typos now fixed. Willy adopts a horse, whose presence brings flashbacks. There's an accident. While they both physically heal, it will take a trip to Heartland to emotionally heal. CATCF Heartland crossover.
1. Notes and Disclaimers

**I actually came up with the beginnings of this story when I was really young. I have always loved horses and would often imagine that the characters in the books I read had horses that participated in the adventures in the stories. Willy Wonka's horse was one of my favorites. I always saw him as a real rascal. I never gave him a name, though. Never fleshed out his character. Never anchored down details about him. He was always just Willy's horse. I did, however, decide on his coloring, and the fact that his eyes were blue, since Willy's were in the book. Later on, I remembered this horse. I fleshed out his character more and gave him a name. Thus Cocoa was born. Then I had to think of how Willy learned about horses. I came up with the idea of having a family member that had horses. I also decided that this would be a family member Willy actually **_**liked**_**. And so Aunt Lauren came into being, as well.**

**I do not own ****Charlie and the Chocolate Factory**** or any characters therein. They are the property of Roald Dahl and the author of the 2005 movie.**

**While this fanfic is based off the 2005 film, I haven't actually seen the whole movie. I have read the book and I have watched clips of the movie on YouTube. That said, if the canon characters seem out of character, I beg your pardon.**

**I do not own Dr. Brand. She is the vet out of the book ****Be Well, Beware**** and is owned by Jessie Hass.**

**I do not own Mr. Conway. He is the farrier out of the ****Pony Pals**** series and is owned by ****Jeanne Betancourt**

**I do not own Amy, Lou, Ben, Ty, or anybody else in the ****Heartland**** series. They are owned by Lauren Brooke.**

**I do own Cocoa, Candy, Stormcloud, Steel, Ms. Wile, Joseph Pressman, and Willy's Aunt Lauren. I also own the idea for this fanfic and most of the dialogue. Some of it was taken from other places. Not other fanfics, though.**


	2. An Equine Visitor

"What's that?" Willy Wonka thought out loud as he looked out his window. There was a dark brown…something…standing outside his factory gates.

"What's what?" Charlie asked, peering around him to see what his friend was looking at.

Willy didn't answer Charlie but went outside. He suddenly stopped in his tracks when he realized what it was. "A horse," he said softly. Charlie came jogging up. "Easy there, Charlie," Willy said, putting his arm out to stop the boy. "You'll scare him."

"Him?" Charlie asked, coming to a stop.

"Him," Willy confirmed. Then he walked closer. The horse backed up a bit. "Easy boy," Willy said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you." Willy came to the gate and held his hand through the bars. The horse snorted softly and his ears came forwards. Willy took the opportunity to study him. He was a dark brown color. The color of chocolate, actually. He had a white face marking. Willy remembered it was called a blaze. He also had four socks on his legs. His eyes were blue: so pale a blue that they almost looked white. He was very skinny and had long legs. The horse seemed to be studying Willy as much as Willy was studying him. His ears stayed pricked. His nostrils flared. "Steady," Willy said softly. Slowly the horse came up to him and lowered his muzzle into Willy's gloved hand. Then he picked up his head and raised his lip. Willy giggled, "Oh come on," he said. "I don't smell _that_ bad!" Then he removed the glove and held his hand out again. "See?" The horse dropped his head and sniffed again. Then he came forwards a little more and poked his muzzle in Willy's face. Again the horse's nostril's flared. Willy blew into them, grinned, and pulled his glove back on.

"Mr. Wonka," Charlie said. Willy and the horse both jumped. Willy had forgotten about Charlie standing there. "How do you know so much about horses?"

"After I ran away from home," Willy explained, "I went to stay with my aunt. She had horses. She taught me about them. I even learned how to ride and groom a horse." he smiled slightly, "She used to say I was born to it."

"Did you learn how to clean the stalls and feed, too?" Charlie asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Ew! No way!" Willy exclaimed with a shudder, "But I watched my aunt do that a few times." Then he turned back to the horse. There was something in the horse's eyes that pleaded with him. He could never explain why he did what he did next. He opened the gate and stood back. "Come on, boy," he said. After a moment's hesitation the horse walked through the gate. Then Willy closed it behind him. "I'm going to keep him," Willy said.

Charlie somehow wasn't surprised at this. "What are you going to call him?" he asked.

Willy looked at the horse and smiled. "Cocoa," he said. "I mean, just look at his coloring. Besides, what other name would be appropriate for the horse of a world famous candy maker?" Then a problem presented itself. How to get him inside the factory? For that matter, where was he going to put him?

Then Willy remembered a room that had a door that opened onto the factory grounds. The door was especially wide because he had intended it to be for a spare dock for loading the candy. However, the spot hadn't been big enough for the trucks to get in so it had been abandoned. It would make an ideal stall for Cocoa. He'd get the oompa-loompas going right away on fixing it up for him. He called for one of them, told him what had to be done and then added for someone to bring him a rope. When the rope came Willy slipped it over Cocoa's neck, tied a knot in it, and the three of them walked around.

Suddenly Willy stopped next to a door in the wall that stretched on either side of the. Charlie stopped too and watched as Willy opened the door. Charlie had often seen the door and wondered where it went. He carefully followed Willy and Cocoa through the door.

On the other side of the door was what looked like a huge back yard. Grass covered the ground. A few trees grew here and there. Cocoa whinnied softly and lowered his head to graze.

They spent several hours outside, letting Cocoa graze. They were near the doorway of the room that would be Cocoa's stall when the door opened. Cocoa gave a surprised snort and backed up, but Willy had a good grip on the rope. Inside, the room had been transformed. There was a wooden gate a few feet from the doorway at the other end. The floor was thickly bedded with wood chips. In a corner was a bucket with water in it. Willy untied the rope and let Cocoa explore his new surroundings. The room next to Cocoa's stall was empty and would be used for a feed and tack room. They left the door they came in by open so Cocoa could go outside and graze if he wished. Willy smiled. They did need things, it was true, but he knew this would be a great home for Cocoa.

"Oh, boy," Willy suddenly said.

"What?" Charlie asked in concern.

"I just realized how much we have to do," Willy said. "We have a lot of stuff to get. Saddle, bridle, blanket, halter, lead rope, grain, supplements, hay, salt block, racks to hold stuff, brushes, hoof pick, a place to store grooming tools, fly spray,…" Willy shook his head to clear it. "The list goes on. And we need to find a veterinarian and a farrier to come look at him. Make sure he's all right."

Charlie suddenly remembered something, "One of my teachers from school has a horse, Mr. Wonka," he said. "I could call her and ask her what veterinarian and farrier she uses."

Willy brightened a little, "That would be great, dear boy. We should probably wait until the vet has checked him out anyway to buy stuff in case the vet has recommendations on what to feed him. Go on," he said, waving Charlie off. "I'll just stay here with Cocoa."


	3. Settling In

Charlie left the room, took a quick look around to orient himself, and headed for the office. He picked up the phone and dialed his teacher's number. Ms. Wile was especially nice. She had given all her students her home phone number on the first day of school and told them that if they ever had a question when they weren't in school to call her and ask instead of having to wait until the next day in school. Charlie listened to the phone ring, reflecting how lucky he was to have such a wonderful teacher this year. Other years his teachers had been very mean to him. Not Ms. Wile, though. She genuinely cared for her students.

"Hello?" Ms. Wile's voice came over the line.

"Hello Ms. Wile," Charlie said, "It's Charlie…Charlie Bucket."

"Charlie!" Charlie could hear the pleasure in her voice. "How can I help you?"

"I have a question," Charlie said.

"That's why I gave you my number," Ms. Wile said, "Shoot."

"It's actually about something other than class," Charlie said hesitantly. "You see…Mr. Wonka just got a horse and we need to have it checked out by a veterinarian and a farrier. I remember you have a horse, too, so I was wondering about what veterinarians and farriers you could recommend?"

"Oh," Ms. Wile said. "Well, I've always used Dr. Brand and Mr. Conway for Glory. They're both good. Loyal. Dedicated. Determined. But gentle and kind with first time clients. I got Glory when she was just a baby after she was weaned away from her mother, and I've been using them both all this time. Want me to give you their numbers?"

"Yes, please!" Charlie exclaimed.

After she had given Charlie the phone numbers, Ms. Wile said, "Oh, and Charlie?"

"Yes ma'am?" Charlie said.

"Thanks for thinking of asking me about this," Ms. Wile said. "I'd love to see a picture of Mr. Wonka's horse some time."

"Sure," Charlie said, "Bye."

"Goodbye, Charlie," Ms. Wile said, and hung up. Charlie went back to Cocoa's new stall. Willy was now outside, leaning on the new gate, watching Cocoa. Charlie told him what Ms. Wile had said and they agreed to call the numbers and set up appointments as soon as possible.

The first appointment, the one with Dr. Brand, was about an hour later. Dr. Brand turned out to be a middle-aged woman. Her hair was black with some silver mixed in. She wore it in a braid. Charlie went out to meet her and open the door to the side entrance so she could drive in. She got out and they introduced themselves. Then Charlie led her into Cocoa's stall by the outer entrance. Willy was still leaning on the gate as they came in. He looked up and then straightened up and came inside the stall. "I'm Willy Wonka," he said, holding his hand out. "Are you the vet?"

"Yes," Dr. Brand said, shaking his hand then looking at Cocoa. "Is this the patient?"

Willy nodded. "This is Cocoa," he said. "It's kind of sudden I have him," he explained. "I found him outside my gates this morning and decided to take him in."

Dr. Brand started her examination, "Someone's probably missing him, then," she said as she worked. "A horse like this isn't likely to have lived wild all his life. See how calmly he's standing for me? A wild horse wouldn't do that." Dr. Brand checked his eyes, his nose, his ears, the inside of his mouth, and used her stethoscope to check his heart, lungs, and digestive tract. She turned to where Willy and Charlie stood. "He seems pretty healthy, except that he hasn't had a lot to eat for a few days at least. He also has worms, so that's contributing to the problem. It's clear he hasn't been on his own for too long. I'd say a couple weeks at most. He can start having grain again. I'd say, though, you should give him some cod liver oil with it." Willy pulled a face. His father had given it to him when he was a kid and he had found it to be nasty tasting stuff. Dr. Brand laughed. "Horses don't seem to mind the taste of it, and it helps them gain weight if they've lost it." She recommended some other supplements and a kind of grain. Charlie jotted them all down for later. Then, after worming Cocoa, she went to get a little gadget that she said would tell if he had a microchip in his neck. All horses who were registered did these days. If he was registered, it would be fairly easy to find his owner. She used the reader on Cocoa and found that he had a microchip. She wrote down the number, gave Cocoa a quick pat, she left.

"She's a keeper," Willy remarked after Charlie came back from seeing her to her truck.

"I'm not surprised," Charlie said.

A half an hour later Mr. Conway showed up. He trimmed Cocoa's hooves and sprayed the left front one with a medical spray because he'd developed thrush. He told them that Cocoa had never had shoes put on. He didn't really need them, Mr. Conway said. His hooves were good and strong. Both he and the vet had turned out to be as good as Ms. Wile had said they were. Willy decided to keep using them for Cocoa.

"What about when Dr. Brand finds his owners again?" Charlie asked.

Willy brushed this off. "Let's not think about that, 'kay?" he said.

The two of them took off in the elevator to a tack store that was rumored to have really good merchandise. They set about buying the stuff they needed. Willy, of course, got everything purple and everything of the finest quality. A worker at the tack store called a nearby farm to make an order of hay and told them to come to the store where they would accompany Charlie and Willy (In a VERY full glass elevator) back to the factory. Willy paid for everything and then he and Charlie squeezed into the elevator, fighting to make room for themselves among the stuff. They took off, the truck with the hay following them.

They landed the elevator in Cocoa's paddock. The truck was waiting outside the side entrance. The doors opened. Charlie managed to wriggle himself free of the stuff, but Willy was stuck. Charlie started unloading and setting stuff on the ground until finally Willy could get out. They finished unloading and stacked all the stuff between the gate to Cocoa's stall and the door leading to the factory. Then they took Cocoa inside and shut the door just to make sure he would be safe. Finally, they got the truck as close as they could to where the hay would be stored and started unloading. Willy and Charlie formed a team and could manage a bale between them. The oompa-loompas also helped. It took twenty of them to carry a bale inside. Fortunately there were a lot of teams of twenty. Everybody just had to be careful not to step on them. Some of the people who had come with the load could manage one or even two bales at a time. After a bit the hay was all in, the people who had delivered the hay gone, and the new stuff they had bought in place. Cocoa sighed contentedly as if to say, "Peace at last."

The next few days passed quickly. There was no news from Dr. Brand about the number on Cocoa's microchip, so Willy began to hope that nothing would come of it. He had the oompa-loompas taking care of cleaning out the stall and paddock and feeding. Some of the tools they had bought had to be modified so the tiny people could use them. A hole was dug and lined with metal outside in a corner where nobody would notice it unless they knew it was there. It was fenced off to keep Cocoa from wandering in the neighborhood. The dirty bedding and manure picked up from the paddock was dumped out there and it went, like all the other trash, to the incinerator.


	4. The Dreaded Phone Call

One evening, a week after Cocoa first arrived, the phone rang. Charlie picked up. "Wonka factory," he said.

"May I speak with Mr. Wonka, please?" a man's voice asked.

"May I ask who's calling and what this is about?" Charlie asked back.

"My name is Joseph Pressman," the man said. "I've been told Mr. Wonka has my horse."

"Just a minute," Charlie said. He carefully laid the phone down and went to the Inventing Room where he knew he'd find Willy. "Mr. Wonka," Charlie said. "You have a phone call."

Willy looked up and quickly followed Charlie out of the Inventing Room. As they were walking down a hall, Willy said, "You know, Charlie, you don't have to call me 'Mr. Wonka' any more. Not now that you've lived here for a while."

"Then what should I call you?" Charlie asked.

"Willy," Willy said. "That is my name, after all."

"Okay…Willy," Charlie said with a smile. Then he chuckled, "Feels weird to be calling you Willy. But in a nice way."

After a few moments' silence, Willy asked, "Who's on the phone, anyway?"

"A guy named Joseph Pressman," Charlie said. "He says he's Cocoa's owner." Willy quickly turned back towards the Inventing Room. "Oh no, you don't!" Charlie said, grabbing him by the sleeve of his coat.

Willy turned back to Charlie. "Do I hafta talk to 'im?" he said in a whiny voice.

Charlie rolled his eyes, "Yes, Willy, you have to talk to him."

"Okay, okay," Willy said, releasing Charlie's hold on his coat. "I'll go willingly. You don't have to pull me along." The two friends laughed.

When they arrived, Charlie left Willy to go into the office alone. Willy sat down in the chair and cautiously picked up the phone. "Hello?" he said, "Willy Wonka speaking. You wished to speak to me, Mr. Pressman?"

"Yes," Joseph said. "I hear you've found my horse."

"Depends," Willy said. "I've found _a_ horse. Please describe your lost horse, Mr. Pressman.

Joseph chuckled softly. "You're a clever one, Mr. Wonka. Okay. My missing horse is a liver chestnut gelding with a blaze and four white socks and blue eyes. He is thin and very leggy."

_Darn_, Willy thought, slumping forward onto the desk. _That's Cocoa to the nail, all right._ "The horse I found fits that description, Mr. Pressman," he said. "I suppose you want to come and get him soon."

Well…" Joseph said. "He disappeared a few weeks ago, and a lot has changed since then. I…well…I've had some financial trouble and had to sell all my other horses and my land. I now live in a rented apartment in the city and don't have anywhere to put a horse."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Willy said.

"I was actually wondering if…if…you might…keep him?" Joseph's voice was hesitant.

Willy sat bolt upright. _Keep Cocoa,_ he thought, _for good_. "Me?" he squeaked.

"Why not?" Joseph said, a slight chuckle in his voice. "Do you want him?"

"Yes," he whispered, "Oh yes. I've become very fond of him."

Willy could hear the smile in Joseph's voice. "All right, then! Unfortunately I can't just give him to you, though I'd like to. The place he's registered at has a transfer of ownership fee and I don't have enough to quite cover it."

"I can cover it easily," Willy said. "But what about you? Is there something you want I can give you the money for? It doesn't seem quite fair just to give you the amount for the fee and leave you with nothing."

"Well, there is a…house for sale," Joseph admitted. "My wife and I went to look at it and fell in love with it. We have enough for a down payment and we were going to get a loan to cover the rest…"

"You don't need to," Willy said. "I'll cover the rest. How much?" Joseph gave him a figure and Willy instantly agreed.

After the phone call was over, Willy slammed down the receiver and shot out of the office crying, "Charlie!"

Charlie was standing nearby. He figured Willy would need some comfort after the call was over. He knew how close Willy had gotten to Cocoa in this past week, so he'd hung around. He hadn't expected Willy to come bursting out of the room like a whirlwind, though. "What is it, Willy?" he asked.

"Cocoa's owner can't keep him!" Willy was practically bouncing with excitement. "He's going to be mine! All mine! From the tip of his nose to the end of his tail! Mine!" Then he caught Charlie's hands in his own and they whirled around and around until they both got so dizzy they fell to the floor.

"This is so great, Willy!" Charlie exclaimed. "I know how attached you are to him."

"Yeah!" Willy cried, then he jumped up. "I gotta go tell him!" Off Willy ran.


	5. What More Could A Horseperson Want?

Willy didn't slow down again until he came to where Cocoa was stabled. He went inside and over to where Cocoa was standing, pulling contentedly at his hay net. "Hey boy," Willy said. Cocoa raised his head and nickered. Then he reached out and nudged Willy on the shoulder with his nose. Willy was thrilled. It was the first time the horse had shown affection towards him. "Guess what!" Willy said, scratching Cocoa between his ears. "You're mine now. Or will be, soon. Isn't that great?" Cocoa snorted and bobbed his head as if agreeing with him. Willy giggled. "You're such a great boy, Cocoa. I'm so glad you came here." He smiled. "Maybe I can ride you sometime, eh? It's been a while since I've been in the saddle, but I'm sure I haven't forgotten how." Suddenly Willy seemed to become like a statue. Cocoa reached out and gently bumped him with his nose. There was no reaction. Cocoa didn't understand, but Willy was having a flashback.

_Willy was back on his aunt's farm. They were in a ring together with a horse. The horse was big and dark grey in color. He was a Thoroughbred. His aunt, Aunt Lauren, was lunging him. Willy watched, fascinated, as she put the horse through his paces and turn in either direction, first with the lunge line and then without. "That's amazing, Auntie!" Willy exclaimed. For the first time since his aunt took him in he knew why his aunt loved the horses so much. He had never understood before, but now he did. She and the horse, named Stormcloud, seemed to really understand each other._

"_Isn't it, though?" Aunt Lauren said. "When I first owned Stormcloud he wouldn't let me near him. A friend of mine helped me with him, though, and he started to listen to me. Now he willingly responds to my directions." She smiled and continued. "Not because he's forced to, you understand, but because he wants to. And the stronger the bond between a horse and rider gets, the harder a horse will try for their rider. No matter whether they show or just ride on trails, no matter whether the person rides or drives the horse with a cart, they'll have a real partnership. The horse will always try their hardest for the person they love. What more could a horse person want?"_

Willy came back to the present with a shake of his head. He looked at Cocoa and whispered softly, responding to the memory, "Nothing, Auntie." He smiled. "I want such a relationship with Cocoa."

Just then Cocoa reached out and grabbed Willy's top hat. He galloped off, clutching the brim in his teeth.

"Hey!" Willy cried, and then vaulted over the gate and went running after Cocoa. "Give that back!"

Charlie had followed his friend and arrived just in time to see Willy, hatless, go running after Cocoa. He laughed as Cocoa, still holding Willy's hat, led Willy in a merry chase around the paddock. After a few minutes Willy came back into the stall and sat on the gate. Cocoa came up to Willy and held out his hat. Willy took it and set it back on his head.

"It may even be the perfect pairing, Willy," Charlie said through his chuckles.


	6. The Accident

The afternoon after Cocoa officially became Willy's, Willy decided to ride Cocoa for the first time. He saddled and bridled him up, then led him outside and mounted. He looked down. "Let's see," he said to himself. "Heels down, legs just so, spine straight…check. Pick up the reins, the leather going under your first three fingers and above your pinky finger…always wondered why that is. Make a fist. Okay." He smiled. He had replaced his top hat with a riding helmet, but other than that he was dressed the way he always did. "Let's go boy," he said, squeezing Cocoa's sides. Charlie, his family, and the oompa-loompas watched as Willy rode around the paddock. He seemed pretty comfortable as he and Cocoa walked, trotted, and cantered around. Willy had even had the oompa-loompas set up a few jumps and popped Cocoa over them. Everything was going great until suddenly a squirrel raced out in front of Cocoa. Cocoa squealed and bolted. Willy tried to stop Cocoa, but he couldn't. Cocoa careened around a corner and out of sight. Charlie rushed around the building to see Cocoa headed straight for him. Willy frantically pulled on the reins and managed to turn Cocoa away from Charlie. But he also aimed him towards one of the jumps. Charlie watched as horse and rider headed straight for the jump. Cocoa leaped over the jump and caught Willy unprepared. Off he flew. He landed on the ground with a thump. "Willy!" he cried, racing to his friend.

Willy groaned and tried to sit up. His leg was bent under him in a funny position. He managed a weak smile at Charlie. "Ow!" he said. "That hurt worse than banging into the elevator."

"Are you all right?" Charlie asked, kneeling by his fallen friend.

"I…think so," Willy said. Cocoa had calmed down his mad flight and came over. He gently nuzzled Willy and nickered softly as if to apologize for dumping him on the ground. Willy pulled himself up further and then slumped back, wincing. "Maybe not. I think I did something to my leg."

One of the oompa-loompas ran to get the doctor and in a few minutes he was back and diagnosed Willy with having a broken leg. Several oompa-loompas ran off and came back with a stretcher. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket helped Willy onto it and he was taken to the factory's hospital.


	7. Don't Blame the Horse

A few hours later Charlie came into Willy's hospital room. Willy was lying on a bed, his leg in a cast and supported by a sling hung from the ceiling. "How are you?" Charlie asked.

Willy jumped slightly, then turned to Charlie. "In pain," he said, "but that's to be expected. They've given me medication for it, so it's not that bad." Then he asked, "How's Cocoa?"

"He's okay," Charlie said. He was surprised that Willy cared. He thought Willy wouldn't want to have anything to do with the horse now. "I took the bridle and saddle off and brushed him before putting his halter on the way you showed me the other day."

"Good," Willy said. Then, almost as if he could read his friend's mind, he said, "You shouldn't blame him for what happened, Charlie. He was scared. He didn't know what he was doing. I certainly don't blame him."

Charlie looked at Willy and said, "This wasn't the first time a horse ran away with you, was it?"

Willy sighed. "No," he admitted, "It wasn't. Back when I was learning how to ride I was on a trail ride with my aunt. A bird flew out of a patch of grass right in front of my horse and startled him. He halted abruptly, throwing me over his head."

"Were you hurt?" Charlie asked.

Willy lifted his hair on the left side of his head, revealing a scar. "See that scar?" he asked, pointing to it. "I landed on the edge of something metal." he let his hair fall back into place. "Had to go to the hospital to get stitches for it. Fortunately for us it happened not too far from my aunt's house. We rode back to the house, Uncle took care of the horses while she took me to the hospital. After we got back she made me get back on a horse and ride around a bit."

"Why'd she do that?" Charlie asked.

"She didn't want me to lose my love of riding because I was afraid," Willy said. "She said I had become quite the horseman and it would be a shame to let the skill go to waste. Plus she could tell that I enjoyed it and she didn't want to see me stop doing something I enjoyed just because of an accident." Then he giggled and added, "Even so, I still sometimes felt nervous riding. Not enough to hold me back, but enough to send a tingle down my spine. It almost made it more fun." Then he yawned, "S'cuse me," he said. "I think the pain medication is making me sleepy."

"I should probably go," Charlie said, "Let you get some rest." Then he left. Willy sank down against the pillows and dozed off.


	8. I Wish You Were My Little Boy

Willy's dreams were full of images of his aunt and uncle at their home. His aunt gently teaching him how to ride and direct a horse. His aunt competing in a show. His aunt leading the victory gallop around the show ring, a blue ribbon fluttering from her horse's bridle. Then the scene changed.

_Willy was eighteen years old. He was preparing to leave his aunt's home to follow his childhood dream of becoming a chocolatier. He had just finished packing and they were about to start loading his things into his aunt and uncle's car. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and there was his aunt. "Willy," she said softly. "Your uncle and I are going to miss you. So much."_

"_I'm going to miss you and Uncle James a lot, too," Willy said, smiling at her. "Take good care of Candy, won't you?" Candy was the horse he'd learned to ride on and his favorite mount._

"_Of course we will," Aunt Lauren said. "I'll ride him every day. And we'll write and tell you how he's doing. And send pictures."_

"_And give him a mint every evening?" Willy asked._

"_Of course," Aunt Lauren said. Then she took his head in her hands and looked into his eyes. "Willy," she said again. "Please remember, no matter where you are or what you're doing, your uncle and I are very proud of you and wish the best for you." Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He had become for her the child she had never had. And now he was leaving home. Then, just before she pulled away she whispered in his ear, "I wish you had been my little boy."_

_Willy smiled. Nobody had ever said words like that to him. He could see his uncle waving to him to come down. The car was loaded and ready to go. He swallowed. "I wish you and Uncle had been my p-p-p-…"_

"_Parents?" Aunt Lauren asked._

"_Yeah," Willy said. Uncle James honked the car horn. He was getting impatient. "Bye, Auntie," he said, pulling away from her. She suddenly caught his arm, pulled him close again, and kissed him on the cheek. Then she let him go and he dashed out the door, wiping away the kiss, and set off into his new life._

Willy's eyes snapped open. He had almost forgotten his aunt. How he'd loved her. And his uncle. He wondered what they looked like now. He wondered about Candy. And Stormcloud. He hadn't received a letter from his aunt for several years now. Ever since he'd built the factory. He had never given her the new address. He slapped himself in the head. Dummy. No wonder he hadn't heard from her.


	9. A Problem Horse

Charlie visited daily all week. It was one of the things that kept Willy from going crazy about being stuck in the hospital and not able to be up and around. He was really glad when the doctor told him he could leave the hospital and get back to his own quarters. He couldn't ride for a while, and he needed to use crutches, but at least he was up and about.

As soon as Willy was up and hobbling about on his crutches, he made his way down to Cocoa's stall. He had missed him and wanted to see how he was doing.

Cocoa seemed well fed and content. At first. But when he saw Willy, he backed up, looking frightened. Willy was surprised. He held his hand out to Cocoa. "What's wrong, boy?" he asked. Cocoa stayed where he was. Willy didn't know quite what to do, so he left.

The same thing happened the next day. And again the next. Willy tried standing at the gate to the stall as long as he could. No matter how long he stood there, Cocoa didn't budge. If Willy came into the stall Cocoa wouldn't let Willy near him.

"It's so strange," Willy said to Charlie one day. "It's like he's afraid of me."

"Maybe it's the crutches," Charlie suggested.

"Maybe," Willy echoed, though he doubted it.

After a while Willy's leg was healed. He remembered what his aunt had said after his first fall: "If you fall off, get right back on again." Well, he intended to do just that.

Unfortunately, Cocoa had other ideas. He made it impossible for Willy to even halter him. Mr. Bucket had to step in and help. Even then Cocoa was less than cooperative. He snapped at them when they tried to cinch up the girth. He refused to open his mouth for the bit. He did everything he could to put a stop to Willy's plans. When it came time for Willy to get on, Mr. Bucket had to hold Cocoa's head so he wouldn't escape. Even so, Cocoa kept dancing his hindquarters around, making it impossible for Willy to mount. Finally in desperation Willy jumped, grabbed Cocoa's mane, and swung himself on. Willy slowly sat up. He realized he was shaking. It was one thing to get on a horse willing to be mounted after falling, but it was quite another to try to get on one who wasn't willing. Mr. Bucket let go and backed up to where the rest of his family stood. For a moment everything was quiet, then Cocoa exploded. Willy had to kick his feet free of the stirrups and jump off to keep from being thrown again. Cocoa snorted, pinned his ears, and charged at Willy. Willy ran and took shelter behind the Buckets. It appeared they had a problem horse on their hands.

After a bit Charlie managed to catch Cocoa and get his bridle and saddle off. Charlie would have given him a brushing, but Cocoa had just barely been restrained long enough to have the saddle and bridle removed. Now he shot away from where the people stood.

For the next few days Charlie searched for brochures of places that claimed to help with problem horses. Willy and the Buckets had decided this was the best plan of action since they didn't know about how to help with problem horses.

On the evening of the second day Willy counted the brochures. There were ones from about a dozen different places. Willy organized them and sat down in his office to find a place.


	10. I Want Him Cured, Not Broken

Bang! Willy slammed down the receiver of the telephone in frustration and disgust. "I am _NOT_ sending Cocoa to a place that bullies and beats horses!" he exclaimed. "I want him cured, not broken!" Willy crumpled up the brochure and threw it, like the ones before it, into the trash can.

"Willy?" came Charlie's voice. Willy turned around. Charlie came into the room. "Any luck?"

"No," Willy said. "So far all the places I've tried say he has an attitude problem and he just needs a firm hand and to be shown who's boss, which they say they'll provide. I don't think that's what he needs. It sounds like the kind of thing my father would approve of. Cocoa's like me, Charlie. If somebody tried that with him, he'd rebel."

"How many places do you have left?" Charlie asked.

"Only one," Willy said, picking up the last brochure. "It's for a place called 'Heartland.'"

"It has a nice sounding name, at least," Charlie said. They looked at it together.

"Doesn't look half bad," Willy commented. "This place seems to be all about curing horses. The other places just had curing horses as one of the many things they offered. It might be the answer we're looking for." He picked up the receiver and dialed Heartland's number.

"Heartland," a female voice said, "Lou Fleming speaking."

"Hello Ms. Fleming," Willy said. "My name's Willy Wonka and I've got a horse that needs help."

"Mr. _Wonka_, did you say?" Lou cried into the phone. "Er…what kind of problems does he have?"

"He avoids me and when someone holds him down so he can't get away he gets violent. I tried to ride him today and I had to jump off before he threw me."

"How long has he been like this?" Lou asked. Willy could hear her scribbling in the background.

"About a month. I rode him a month ago, he spooked at something…a squirrel I think it was, and managed to throw me off. I broke my leg and couldn't ride, but I visited him every day. He seemed scared of me or something. He didn't want to get close. I thought it was because of the crutches. But then today was my first day without them. He seemed worse. He attacked me and, like I said before, when I got on him, he almost dumped me a second time."

"What kind of horse is he?" was Lou's next question.

"He's a liver chestnut gelding," Willy responded. He dug around in his papers until he came up with Cocoa's registration. "Seven years old. He's a grade horse. Combination Morgan, Arabian, and Thoroughbred."

He heard the sound of a door slamming and then Lou relating the information to someone who had just come in. There was a conversation Willy couldn't hear, and then Lou came back on the line. "We can take him," she said. "We'll have an opening in a few days time. I suspect, coming from where you do, that it will take a few days for you to get here." Then she asked, "What's his name, by the way?"

"Cocoa," Willy replied. "Before I agree to sending him to you, though, can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Lou said.

"How would you treat him?" Willy asked.

"I can't answer that," Lou said. "My sister, Amy, is the one who treats the horses. She's right here." Willy then heard Lou call to her sister, "Amy, he has a question for you."

"Amy Fleming speaking," Amy's voice came over the line. "What is your question, Mr. Wonka?"

"I was wondering how you would treat Cocoa if I sent him to you," Willy said again.

"We treat our horses with kindness, respect, and understanding," came Amy's voice. "Using rewards instead of punishments. Never bullying, never frightening." There was a slight pause. "Listening to the horse, mostly."

Willy couldn't help but smile when he heard that. He liked the sound of it. "OK," he said, "you can treat him."

"Oh, but there is one thing," Amy told him. She sounded nervous, "I don't know how long it will take."

"You can have all the time you need," Willy reassured her. "I just want him to be all right again."

Willy and Lou finalized the details of when Cocoa would arrive at Heartland.


	11. Welcome To Heartland

Dr. Brand had to tranquilize Cocoa before traveling to keep him from hurting Willy and Charlie. Cocoa had gotten to the place where he would attack Charlie and his family as well as Willy since Mr. Bucket had helped to hold Cocoa still when Willy had attempted to ride him. They loaded him into the glass elevator and took off. Cocoa panicked. Fortunately they had thought this might happen and Charlie grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it around Cocoa's eyes.

The elevator slowly settled into the driveway near the house at Heartland. Amy and Ty were outside. Amy watched, her eyes big. "Oh, my _gosh!_" she exclaimed. She waited until it had landed before slowly going up to the glass elevator.

The door opened and Willy jumped out. He looked around. "So this is Heartland, huh?" he said.

"Who are you?" Amy whispered softly, Ty coming up behind her.

"William Wonka, young lady," Willy said, removing his top hat and bowing with a smile. Then he held out a gloved hand and said, "And you are…"

"Amy Fleming," Amy replied, shaking his hand, "We talked on the phone."

"Amy," Willy said, "A pleasure." Then he looked up to where Ben had joined her and Ty. "And who are these two young men?"

"These are Ty and Ben," Amy replied. "They help out with taking care of and treating the horses."

Charlie led Cocoa out of the glass elevator. Ty looked over at them. "Is this the horse?" he asked.

"Yes," Willy said going over to the horse and removing the blindfold. "This is Cocoa. He may look a bit out of it right now, but that's because we had to sedate him to travel. We didn't want him attacking us on the trip over."

"Is he really that bad?" Ben asked. All the trip over Cocoa had his ears back. Now, suddenly, his ears came forwards as Ben approached. Amy and Ty also came over. Cocoa's ears stayed forwards. He let them pet him and when Amy took his lead line he followed her willingly, if not a little slowly because of being sedated. They got him settled in his stall without mishap. Willy and Charlie followed behind the three people from Heartland. As soon as they appeared at Cocoa's stall door, his ears immediately went back again.

"Hmmmm," Amy said, watching the horse. "It appears to be just you he acts this way about. He seems fine with us."

"Like I said before, he was fine with me before the accident. It was only afterwards that he began to act funny," Willy said.

"Who did you buy him from?" Amy asked.

"A man named Joseph Pressman," Willy responded. He instantly knew where it was going, "You think…something happened to Cocoa…_before?_"

"I think it's pretty likely," Amy said.

"Well, as soon as Charlie and I get back, I'll call you and give you the number so you can talk to him," Willy told her as he and Charlie climbed into the elevator. Amy watched as it flew out of sight before returning to work.


	12. A Piece of the Puzzle

That night Willy called Amy and gave her the number. Amy immediately dialed the number. In a moment a man's voice answered, "Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Pressman?" Amy asked.

"Yes," Joseph said.

"I'm calling because of Mr. Wonka's horse," Amy said. "He's started to have trouble and I'm treating him. I was wondering about his past."

"Ah yes," Joseph said. "Mr. Wonka's named him Cocoa, hasn't he? Well, we always called him Prince, because he was. A bit of a rascal at times, but all in all a wonderful horse. Very special." Sadness entered his voice. "Unfortunately, my daughter was in an accident on him."

"What kind of accident?" Amy asked.

"She was competing in show jumping on him. One of the balloons tied to the edge of the ring exploded and Prince bolted. He bashed into the outer ring, throwing my daughter. She had multiple injuries, including a broken leg. I know she blamed Prince for her accident. The next time she visited the stable, she was on crutches. She…she went over to Prince's stall. When he heard her coming and poked his head out to greet her, she balanced on one crutch and smacked Prince on the head with the other." Amy gasped in horror. "I tried to tell her it wasn't his fault, but she wouldn't listen. She would do things like when he was out in his paddock she'd take stones from the driveway and throw them at him, as well as hitting him with her crutches. Once she was well, she would still ride him, but never in shows. She used a whip on him and a really cruel bit, neither of which she'd never done. She'd ride and ride until he was covered in sweat and bleeding from the whip lashes and the harsh bit. It got to the place where he wouldn't let anybody near him except the stable hands who fed him and cleaned out his stall. I knew I had to do something to stop it. So one night I opened his stall door and let him loose. I hoped he'd find a better life. And he did."

"No wonder," Amy murmured out loud. It finally made sense.

"No wonder?" Joseph echoed.

"That explains Cocoa's behavior," Amy explained. "The bad behavior started after Mr. Wonka had an accident where he was thrown off and broke his leg. The accident must have triggered the memories. He must have been afraid Mr. Wonka would treat him the way your daughter did. Thank you, Mr. Pressman. I think you helped me figure it out."

"You're very welcome. Good luck with helping him," Joseph said before hanging up.

After hanging up, Amy went down to the barn. Cocoa was contentedly pulling hay from his net. Amy opened the stall door and walked up to him. She carefully parted the hair, searching. Finally she found it. A scar. She reached out and stroked Cocoa's neck. "You poor thing," she whispered. "Don't worry. I'm going to prove to you that Mr. Wonka would never hurt you like that."


	13. Mutual Fear

The next day Amy was working with one of the other horses being boarded at the stable. She had just let the horse loose and was going to join up with them.

She didn't even notice the elevator flying by overhead.

Nor did she notice that she soon had a spectator.

Willy Wonka had decided to stop by and see how things were going. Now he watched, fascinated, as Amy worked with the horse. He smiled at the end of the join up as the horse followed Amy without a lead rope. He hoped someday he and Cocoa could have such a relationship. When it was clear that Amy was done with the horse, Willy cleared his throat to attract her attention.

"Oh!" Amy cried, her head snapping around. "Mr. Wonka, I didn't see you." Then she asked, "Did you see the join up?"

"I did," Willy said. "I just came by because I was wondering how Cocoa was doing."

"I was going to start on him next, Mr. Wonka," Amy told him, "But I did find out something interesting about him last night."

"What?" Willy asked.

"He's afraid of you," Amy said. "A similar thing happened in his old home. His rider fell off and broke her leg. However, she blamed him for the accident. She badly mistreated him, Mr. Wonka. When you had your accident, it brought back all the bad memories, and with it, a fear that you would treat him the same way." An idea began to form in Amy's mind. "You know," she said, "You should really be the one to work with him."

Willy's eyes widened. "I…I don't know a-about that," he stammered. "I-I-I wouldn't know what…to do. Besides, I don't have the time. I probably shouldn't have even come. I gotta get back." He raced to the elevator and was soon gone again.

Amy shook her head in puzzlement. Both horse and owner were scared of each other. How was she ever going to bring them together?


	14. The Breakthrough

The next day both Charlie and Willy came to Heartland. They were obviously in some kind of discussion as they left the elevator.

"Are you scared, Willy?" came Charlie's voice. It wasn't a taunting sentence, more curious and concerned.

"No!" Willy said quickly. Too quickly, and too loudly. It gave him away.

"It was an accident, Willy, you know that," Charlie said. "One that nobody could have stopped."

"I am _NOT_ scared!" Willy yelled. Then he stormed ahead of Charlie, cheeks flaming in anger. He came over to where Amy stood. "Hello, Amy," he said. They talked for a few minutes.

When Willy went to leave, Amy made a quick decision. "I really think you should stay here for a bit, Mr. Wonka," she said.

"I think so, too," Charlie answered, "I need some time alone, anyway." It was true that part of why he said this was he was still fuming from his and Willy's argument, but there was also a part of him that thought if Willy were here long enough he'd face up to his fear. Before Willy could stop him, Charlie dashed to the elevator and took off.

Willy ground his teeth. "Great," he muttered. "I'm stuck here."

Amy walked towards one of the stables. "I'm going to do a join up," she said. "You can watch me if you want."

"Cocoa?" Willy asked.

"No," Amy said, "Another horse."

"Okay," Willy said.

A few minutes later Amy was in the ring and Willy was leaning against the fence, watching. Amy explained the signals the horse was giving her, and what her behavior meant in horse terms.

"Wow," Willy said softly when it was all over. "That was incredible."

"Wasn't it?" Amy said. "Join up is a step in developing a relationship with the horse. One of respect and understanding."

"That's what I want with Cocoa," Willy said softly.

"You need to show him that you won't hurt him," Amy said softly.

Willy buried his head in his hands, "I can't," he said softly. He looked at Amy and added, "Charlie's right. I'm scared. I'm scared of getting back on him."

"It's actually for the best if you don't get on right away," Amy said gently. "Start slowly and show him you won't hurt him and that he can trust you."

Willy looked at her, "How?" he asked.

"Start by working him on the ground," Amy said. Then an idea came to her. "Why don't you join up with him?"

"I've only seen you do it twice and you expect me to be able to do it myself?" Willy asked with a skeptical chuckle.

"I think you learned in those two times more than you think you did," Amy responded.

Willy suddenly realized she was right. He knew the signals. He knew what to do…sort of. Maybe he could. He nodded, "Okay," he said.

"I'll go get Cocoa, then," Amy said, heading for the stables. Then she turned back. "You may want to take your hat and coat off. They might distract Cocoa and make it hard for you two to join up."

Willy dutifully removed these articles of clothing and after a moment's search found a place to set them where they wouldn't get dirty. Then Amy came out of the stable leading Cocoa. The horse was bobbing his head and walking along with a bounce in his stride. Then, when he saw Willy, he stopped dead in his tracks. Amy coaxed him forward and, keeping herself between horse and human, the three of them went to the ring. Amy handed Willy the lead line and left him in the ring. Cocoa stayed as close to the outside edge as he could to stay as far from Willy as he could.

Willy, somewhat cautiously, pitched the lead rope at Cocoa, who jumped forwards with a snort and started to trot. Willy pitched the line again, making Cocoa canter around the ring. Cocoa kept cantering around the ring for a few minutes in a frantic attempt to stay away. Then it came. Cocoa's ears had been back the way they had whenever Willy was around since the accident, but now one ear came forwards and turned towards him. The first signal. Willy quickly stepped in front of Cocoa, causing him to swerve and start circling in the other direction. After a few more minutes, Cocoa starting to make licking and chewing motions with his mouth. Willy recognized the second signal. Finally, Cocoa gave the last signal. He stretched his neck down to the ground, as he slowed to a trot. Willy quickly turned away from Cocoa, slouching his shoulders and looking at the ground. He held his breath. Would it work? Willy heard Cocoa slow to a stop behind him with a snort. Willy could hear his heart pounding. Then, he heard the sound he'd been hoping to hear: Cocoa's hooves slowly walking towards him in the middle of the ring. Then silence. Then, at long last, he felt a warm gust of air against his neck and Cocoa's muzzle resting against his shoulder. Join up. Willy realized he'd been holding his breath and quickly let it out. Willy turned around to rub Cocoa's forehead, as he had seen Amy do. Cocoa's ears slowly came forwards, as if to say 'I trust you.' Willy then walked away. Cocoa followed him. Willy walked in a figure eight pattern with Cocoa right behind him. When Willy picked up a jog, Cocoa trotted. When Willy halted, Cocoa did too. Willy turned to Cocoa and hugged him. Cocoa craned his neck around Willy as if hugging him back.

"Way to go!" Amy cried from where she stood at the fence.

Willy jumped and pulled away from Cocoa. He had become so focused on everything involving the join up that he had forgotten about his audience. He grinned. "I did it!" he crowed. "I really did it!" He ran to the gate, Cocoa still right behind him. "Amy, that…that…I thought watching was incredible, but doing it myself…I don't have any words that can describe it."

"I know," Amy said. "No matter how many times I do it, the thrill never quite wears off."

"It was like magic," Willy said. "I suddenly felt like I could—"

"Speak his language?" Amy suggested.

"Yes!" Willy exclaimed. He was practically bouncing. "I don't think I'm ever going to come back down to earth."

"Why would you want to?" asked a familiar child's voice.

"Charlie!" Willy cried, and went to where the boy stood further down from Amy. "Did you see Cocoa and me joining up?"

"I sure did!" Charlie exclaimed with a grin, throwing his arms around his friend. "I saw it all! Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Willy said, smiling back and cautiously returning the hug.

Amy came back with the clothes Willy had taken off. She handed him his jacket, which he then put on. But just before Amy handed Willy his hat, Cocoa snatched it and galloped off across the ring. "Why you little…!" Willy exclaimed, and went chasing after Cocoa. They dashed and dodged about a bit before Cocoa came up to Willy and held the hat out to him. Willy chuckled and set it back on his head. "Guess you're back to being yourself, eh boy?" he said with a chuckle, tousling Cocoa's mane.


	15. If You Fall Off, Get Back On

From then on the progress was slow but steady. Amy taught Willy about the methods Heartland used, and Willy gladly used them with Cocoa. He could feel their relationship becoming stronger every day.

A few months later, it was time for Willy to face his biggest fear: riding. Ever since the fall, he was scared to get on again. What if he was dumped again? Amy went to get Cocoa and soon brought him out all saddled and bridled up. Willy gulped and, trembling, went over to him. Amy was going to hold Cocoa until Willy was on. Cocoa seemed to sense his human friend's fear and gently nudged him as if to say, 'It's going to be all right.' Willy patted Cocoa's neck, stuck his left foot in the stirrup, put his left hand on the reins and his right on the back of the saddle, and then swung into the saddle. He was on. Amy let go of Cocoa's bridle and backed up. Willy nervously settled himself into riding position. Then he squeezed Cocoa's sides with his legs. Cocoa started to walk slowly. Willy steered him towards the ring. Amy went ahead to get the gate and then closed it behind them. After a few circuits of the ring at a walk, they picked up a trot. Willy settled into the rhythm of posting and then, suddenly, the fear was gone. He was doing it. He was riding. He grinned at Amy and Charlie as he rode by them. After a few minutes he picked up a canter and then crossed the ring on a diagonal. Next came a circle. He was gaining confidence and relaxing into it. Cocoa was, too. The horse had been tense and stiff at first, but now he, too was relaxing. His movements were becoming more fluid. He arched his neck as he cantered along. Amy beamed. Perfect.

Just then a chipmunk came racing out in front of Cocoa. He spooked and bolted. Willy gave an alarmed squawk and grabbed tight hold of the reins as Cocoa galloped off. Charlie panicked. Amy knew what to do, though. "Circle him!" she called. Willy heard her and pulled Cocoa around in a circle. Just in time, too. A few minutes later and they would have crashed into the railing. Charlie held his breath as he watched. Hoping. Slowly Willy's circles got smaller and smaller. Then he managed to slow Cocoa down to a canter. Then a trot. And then finally a walk. Then they stopped for a moment. Both were trembling badly. Willy looked paler than he normally did. He ran his hands along Cocoa's neck and murmured softly to him. Cocoa arched his neck and awkwardly pranced in place. In a few minutes Willy collected the reins and rode over to the gate at a walk. About halfway, he suddenly realized what had happened, smiled, and urged Cocoa into a trot. When he got close enough, he called out to Amy and Charlie, "I stayed on! Even though he bolted! I managed to stay on! Other times a horse got scared like that I've been thrown."

Amy smiled. "I know," she said. Then she hesitated. "You mean the time you broke your leg wasn't the first time you fell?"

Willy shook his head. "When I was first learning to ride, I fell off once when a horse ran away with me." Then he rode off for a few circuits. He walked, trotted, and cantered briefly before dismounting and walking him back to them. "I think that's enough for now, don't you, boy?" he said. Cocoa snorted.

Charlie shook his head and commented, "You two have developed your own special language."

"That's what happens when you bond with a horse," Willy said.

After that, Willy would come to Heartland pretty much daily to ride and work with Cocoa until, finally, one day Amy said Cocoa was ready to go home. He was cured. Better than cured, in fact. The two of them now had what Willy had dreamed of having with Cocoa: a true partnership.


	16. Stay For A While

A few days later, Willy loaded Cocoa into the elevator and they took off. Cocoa was nervous at first, but Willy was able to soothe him. A few minutes later a house with a nearby stable came into view. Willy worked the controls and landed near a nearby riding ring. In the ring an older woman with silvery grey hair was cantering a dark grey horse around. She stopped the horse and stared. Willy exited the elevator, leading Cocoa over to the ring. He smiled. "Hey Auntie," he called, "it's me!"

The woman continued to stare for a moment before she whispered, "Willy?" Willy nodded, and she cantered her horse over to the fence. She pulled the horse to a sliding stop, startling Cocoa, and dismounted. Then she threw her arms around Willy. "My boy," she whispered.

"Good to see you, too, Auntie," he said, cautiously returning the hug. "Though you startled my horse with that sliding stop."

"What?" Aunt Lauren said, pulling away. She had been so focused on her nephew, she hadn't noticed the horse. Now she looked Cocoa over. "Good lookin' fella," she said, and held her hand out to him. Cocoa sniffed her hand and then snorted. She smiled. "What's his name?"

"Cocoa," Willy answered, patting his neck. Then he turned to the horse. "Stormcloud?" he asked, looking at the horse. It certainly looked like him.

Aunt Lauren shook her head. "No," she said, reaching out to pat the horse by her side. "Stormcloud died a few months ago. He became terminally sick and we had to put him down. This guy is Steel. He's Stormcloud's nephew. Stormcloud had a twin brother who wasn't gelded and fathered this guy. Soon after Stormcloud died, I saw him at a sale and bought him."

"So I guess Candy's gone, too?" Willy asked. "He was older than Stormcloud."

Aunt Lauren nodded. "Yes," she said. "He died of old age. He had a long and happy life, though. His passing was very peaceful."

Willy hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "I'm glad," he said.

Suddenly Cocoa decided he'd had enough of just standing around while the humans talked. He wanted to play. He grabbed one of the tails on Willy's coat and gave it a quick tug. Then he ran off. "Hey!" Willy exclaimed, and went running after Cocoa. "You rascal! Get back here!" Aunt Lauren watched from the gate for a moment and laughed at them. They were playing tag. It brought back memories, watching them. Willy would often play tag with Candy, too.

Just at that moment, it was Willy's turn to be chased. He wasn't watching where he was going and…

BANG!

…He ran right into the glass elevator and fell over backwards. Fortunately for him the patch of ground he landed on was clear of any horse manure. Cocoa came over and snuffled him.

"Ow!" Willy cried, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Should've parked this thing somewhere else where it wouldn't be in the way."

"Are you all right, Willy?" Aunt Lauren asked, whipping the gate open and running to her fallen nephew.

"Fine," Willy said, getting up and dusting himself off. "I'm always doing that."

Aunt Lauren giggled at this admission. "It is good to have you here," she said, laying her hand on his arm. "Even if you are a klutz."

"Hey!" Willy pretended to take offense at her remark.

Aunt Lauren smiled, "We should get these two guys into the stable," she said, indicating where Cocoa and Steel stood. "Then I want us to go up to the house and get caught up in each other's lives."

"Don't you know what's been going on with me?" Willy asked in surprise.

"Of course I do," Aunt Lauren said. "I just want to hear everything from your perspective."

Willy stayed for a week. Charlie had assured Willy that he, his family, and the oompa-loompas could keep the factory going that long easily. During that time he and his aunt were inseparable, except at night when they would go to bed. Willy collapsed in bed each night, sure he had never been so happy. Yes, he missed the factory and Charlie, but being around his aunt again made it so the pain wasn't too great.

There was just one thing that cut into his happiness. On the first day together, Willy had discovered that Uncle Jacob was dead. He'd had a heart attack a month ago, and one morning Willy and his Aunt Lauren went to visit the grave.

One day the two of them went for a trail ride together. They rode through woods and fields. They stopped to let their horses drink at a stream. Cocoa started to splash the water about a bit and they quickly got out of the stream.


	17. A Promise Revealed

One evening, Willy suddenly felt like he had to know something. "Auntie?" he asked from where he was flopped on the couch.

"Yes?" Aunt Lauren asked.

"It always seemed like you cared more for me than anyone else in our f-f-f-…well, you know what I'm trying to say," Aunt Lauren nodded. Willy looked at her. "Why?"

Aunt Lauren sighed and looked down at her hands. "There's something I should have told you long ago, Willy." She looked up. "You know your mother died a few hours after you were born, right?"

"Right," Willy said.

"I was there," Aunt Lauren said. "I was with her when she died. I still…I still…" her voice faded off and she buried her head in her hands. Her grief for her sister making it impossible for her to speak for a moment. When she lifted her head, tears shone in her eyes and she whispered, "I still remember her last words to me. To anyone. She said, 'Take good care of my little boy, he'll need a mother when I'm gone.' So I promised." Then she smiled, "You were so tiny when I first held you. So beautiful. You looked like your mother. I fell in love with you then and there. Jacob and I had learned a few months ago that we would never have children of our own. You became my baby. I loved you the way I would have loved a child of my own."

"That's why I came here when I ran away from home," Willy said, sitting up and looking at his aunt. "I always felt safe here. Loved. Like I mattered. Like somebody cared." He got up and went over to where she sat in a recliner. She moved to one side to make room for him and he sat down. She put her arm around him then reached up and stroked his hair as they sat together, long into the night.

The end of the week came all too soon. Neither Willy nor his aunt wanted him to leave, but they both knew it was for the best. Aunt Lauren hugged him and whispered, "Goodbye, Willy."

"Goodbye," Willy whispered, hugging her back. "I promise I'll keep in touch this time."

Aunt Lauren smiled as they let go. She ran her hand over his hair and murmured, "I'll miss you."

Willy started to walk off, blinking furiously, and said, "I'll miss you, too." Cocoa had already been loaded in the elevator and Willy got in. Aunt Lauren stood watching as it took off and flew out of sight.


	18. Welcome to the Factory, Aunt Lauren

Willy kept his word and kept in touch. Charlie knew how Willy felt about his aunt. Just the sight of a letter from her in the daily mail and Willy would snatch it, tell everyone he was not to be disturbed, and dash off to the office.

One day after one of these letters Willy seemed sad when he finally came out. Charlie looked at him, "Bad news?" he asked.

"What?" Willy said, "Oh…uh…yeah." He started to walk along the hall, seeming distracted.

"Something you want to talk about?" Charlie asked, falling into step with his friend.

"No," Willy said.

Willy was quieter than usual for the rest of the day. Charlie didn't know what was up with him.

That evening Willy went to his room and sat in a chair. He pulled the most recent letter from his pockets and looked at it again. His aunt had found out that his uncle had lost his job a few months before he died. To pay for monthly bills and other necessary expenses, he had run them hopelessly into debt. Now the government was giving his aunt time to make up the difference. If she didn't, all her possessions would be taken and sold to pay off the debt. She had been struggling financially after Uncle Jacob had died, and now this. She didn't know what to do.

Suddenly the solution came to him. He could invite her to come and live at the factory. He jumped up and snatched at pen and paper. Then he sat down and wrote his invitation to her. He sealed it and immediately sent it out. Time was critical here.

A few days later a letter came back. Aunt Lauren happily accepted the invitation to come and live in the factory. She had given him her phone number, so he called and they finalized the details.

Finally the big day arrived. Willy got into the elevator and off he flew. In what seemed minutes, he could see what once was his aunt's home. Nearby he could see a familiar figure.

Aunt Lauren was standing at the edge of her driveway, a suitcase at her feet. She had been allowed to take some things that had personal value to her and some clothes. Now she stood, scanning the sky for her nephew. Suddenly she was startled by a call of, "Hey Auntie!"

"Where are you?" Aunt Lauren asked, looking around.

"To your left," came the answer.

She looked, and there he was, hovering in the air. She grinned, "Get yourself down here, silly." She watched as he landed and opened the door for her before grabbing her suitcase and running over. Remembering how he had crashed into it during his visit, and she herself not entirely sure where it stood, she slowed down.

In a moment she was inside and Willy pressed a button to close the doors. Willy smiled at her, "Welcome aboard, Auntie," he said.

"Thank you, Willy," she said. "I'm so glad you offered to take me in."

"You're welcome," Willy said, pressing another button. Off they flew, back to the factory. The rest of that day Aunt Lauren spent settling into her new room.

The next morning Willy knocked on Aunt Lauren's door. "Yes?" she said, opening it. Willy stared. She was dressed in a dark blue long sleeved velvet gown that went beautifully with the color of her eyes. Her hair was pulled up in back in a bun except for a few strands that framed her face. On her hands she wore white lace gloves and on her feet were black leather high heeled shoes.

"Auntie," he breathed, "you're beautiful."

"Thank you," Aunt Lauren said, "I had the oompa-loompa tailors make the dress and gloves up yesterday afternoon."

"They did a wonderful job," Willy said. "I'll have to make sure they get a little something extra next payday." Then he smiled. "I came by to invite you to come with me to breakfast with the Buckets. After all, I figure they should meet you and learn that you're staying here."

Aunt Lauren backed up, a twinkle dancing in her eyes, "You didn't…" she said.

Willy grinned at her and answered, "I did."

"So they don't even know I was going to move in…" Aunt Lauren said. Then she grinned. "I would be happy to accompany you," she said.

They headed down to the elevator and got in. "Hold on tight," Willy said, pressing the button for the Chocolate Room.

"Whoa!" Aunt Lauren said once the elevator stopped, staggering out. "That was a wild ride." Then she grinned. "It was fantastic!"

"Wasn't it?" Willy asked. Then he started to wave. "Hey! Charlie! Over here, M'boy!"

"Willy!" Charlie ran over to his friend, slowing as he got close. "Mom just sent me to come find you. Where were you?" Then he noticed Aunt Lauren. "Who's your friend?" he asked.

Aunt Lauren smiled and held her hand out, which Charlie shook. "You are just as I imagined you, Charlie. Willy's told me all about you and your family. I'm Willy's Aunt Lauren," she said.

"The one who taught me about horses," Willy added.

The three of them walked to the Bucket house where Aunt Lauren was introduced to the family and they settled down to breakfast.

Aunt Lauren talked easily with the Buckets. She was one of those people who had the gift of putting people at ease by simply being herself. Willy had always noticed this about his aunt. He was pleased to see that everybody loved her almost instantly.

At the end of the meal, Mr. Bucket stood up. He tapped his glass and silence instantly fell. "As you know," he said. "There is a new person in this factory this morning. Willy Wonka's Aunt Lauren. I also know, and I hope you agree with me, that ever since we came to live here Willy has become like part of our family to me." Every head nodded in agreement. "So, I hope you will join me in saying," and here Mr. Bucket raised his glass to where Aunt Lauren sat next to Willy, "Welcome to the family, Lauren." Everybody clapped.

"Thank you," Aunt Lauren said, blushing ever so slightly. "You're all so kind. I felt from the moment I arrived the other day that I belonged here, and you have only increased that feeling."

Willy smiled at his aunt. At last, the one member of Willy's family he ever cared for was with him again. He had Cocoa, his aunt, Charlie, and an adopted family in Charlie's parents and grandparents. Life could not have been any sweeter.


End file.
